"If you tell the truth too bluntly, youÂll get your ass in trouble!Â

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(PRWEB)February 13, 2000

Littleton, Colorado: 93% of Americans admit to lying at work. In fact, most of us lie an average of three times a day, about as often as we eat. Why? Because as the Police Investigator quoted above reminds us: Sometimes telling the truth can 'get your ass in trouble!' Does this statement offend you? Well, it just goes to prove what happens when someone is too honest.

In business, being offended by the truth creates tremendous challenges for both employees and management. But when you consider the fact that every time members of an organization hide the truth from each other it sets the stage for distrust, lowered productivity, poor decisions and frustration, this is a problem that demands an immediate solution. ÂWhat is the Emperor Wearing? Truth-Telling in Business RelationshipsÂ offers that solution.

ÂIt is an impossible challenge to expect anyone to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth,Âsays author Laurie Weiss, Ph.D., internationally known Executive Coach, Consultant, and Psychotherapist. But telling the truth is the foundation of communicating effectively. Weiss and her partner/husband, Jon, have been helping clients create dynamic, effective personal and working relationships since 1972. TheyÂve found that most complicated situations in the workplace can be traced to someone's deception.

But, as Weiss points out, even People who know the importance of telling the truth in the workplace are reluctant to share it. Employees are afraid to say Âthe emperor isnÂt wearing any clothesÂ for fear they might look weak or foolish. They also stay silent because they fear retaliation for expressing an unpleasant or unpopular view. Management often remains silent because they fear lawsuits from their employees. And so, misrepresentations, lies, and silence in the workplace persist.

What can you do to strike a balance between telling the truth, and telling too much of the truth?

ÂCreating an atmosphere where speaking and hearing the truth is valued and practiced is the first step,Â says Weiss, Âbut this takes deliberate attention.Â In "What is the Emperor Wearing? Truth-Telling in Business Relationships" she focuses on helping readers develop the skills necessary to communicate their own truth gracefully and skillfully without jeopardizing their jobs or work relationships.

Ten years of service on the ethics committee of an international professional organization convinced Weiss that almost everyone who lies is merely reacting to a situation as they see it. In fact, our perceptions are heavily colored by what we already believe is true.

Weiss reminds us that ÂNobody is unethical in their own eyes. In every case I heard, the accused had what they believed were good reasons for what they did." This often creates a breakdown in communication and the continuation of lies and deception. Weiss shares techniques for dealing with these situations, and creating a dialogue instead of an argument when two people's perception of the truth clash with one another.

In addition to providing solid (and comforting) advice for dealing with honesty issues, ÂWhat is the Emperor Wearing? Truth-Telling in Business RelationshipsÂ is peppered with stories Weiss collected when friends and colleagues learned that she was writing a book about telling the truth. Readers will recognize themselves in these stories. And by working with the techniques Weiss teaches, theyÂll find solutions to their own truthtelling challenges.